FBike Flying Bicycle Concept: Will Cycling Be Jetson-ified?

Moller’s Skycar legacy may have turned out a failure and waste of invested money. But success may have been closer than was thought – let’s try it again with…uhh…bicycles!

The idea seems ludicrous, outlandish, even dangerous. Regardless, the question’s still begged – is it actually possible to take cycling to the sky? Czech company FBike thinks it is. After developing several CAD concepts and working through the flaws, they’re now building the prototype to be flight tested August of this year. With 4 helicopter style propellers, two main and two stabilizers, FBike hopes to build a bicycle with vertical takeoff that can maintain flight for 3-5 minutes. Frame construction will be of duralumin, an aluminum alloy used for aircraft construction.

Total weight for this bad boy is going to be 85kg/187lb, so I can’t imagine pedaling it far without the help of propellers. Dimensions are approximated at 3500mm length, 2500mm width, and 1200mm height. A lithium-polymer battery will drive the propellers at a max of 2500 rev/minute – two 1300mm diameter main propellers in the front and rear, and two 650mm stabilizing propellers flanking the rider.

Click ‘more’ for images and a video…

The frame resembles a mountain bike with disc brakes, knobby winter tires for a cushy landing, and a modified seat with a backing and double-strap seatbelt. FBike is still in the early stages of its development and they acknowledge that there may still be some flaws to be worked through. We are pumped to see how this concept develops and if it will, in fact, take us to the skies (for 3-5 minutes).

Comments

off-roadie - 06/20/12 - 4:19pm

I’m sorry, I don’t usually troll, but this is just…outstanding. I thought some of the e-mountain bike things were goofy, but this is head and shoulders above the rest. Really, this is the CAT1 of bad ideas. I can’t wait to see if it can make pro! Please report anymore news you get on this!

Topmounter - 06/20/12 - 5:36pm

Let me guess… It’s a Kickstarter project… They’ll raise a bunch of $$$ from gullible people… Who will never hear from them again?

The first idea that come to my mind is Da Vinci’s “helicopter”. Problem is where the power come from, but this one will have even more problems and the concept/utiilty seems flawed.

Dustin - 06/20/12 - 10:25pm

Real question is.. will it be UCI approved?

guy - 06/20/12 - 10:30pm

New fatbike literally flies over bumpy terrain.

Juri - 06/21/12 - 6:46am

I know a little about this, and this is not more that an advertisement (my opinion).
If this bike really flight for a 3 minutes, than it will in all TV (CZE) and this will be the best advertisement for those firms, isn’t it?

härbert - 06/21/12 - 6:53am

No way!
I wouldn´t even turn on a calculator to roughly assume the forces that bond the 150+ kg to the ground…!

Every 90° redirection of kinetic-energy has an efficiency factor from about 50% under perfect conditions an on this construction i see a lot of such bend loss !
So the electric motor better be strong to compensate this, because:
The max. input of a rider could be up to 2400W (Track-Sprinter: Lausberg, Nüscheler, …)
which is about 3Hp/PS but just for seconds. For the three minutes the input of a elite biker would be about 1100W which would move this Thing, but definetly not verticaly…

To stay optimistic:It could work:
if the great Marco Pantani with his 65kg would push the pedals one more time AND
if they make their attempt to fly with a bit less gravity …i would suggest on the moon
(please don´t forget to bring some atmosphere to there for the rider and the necesary air density)

Topmounter - 06/21/12 - 11:43am

I just realized how they’ll get their 3-5 minutes of flight… the rider appears to be wearing a parachute… they’re going to BASE jump this thing.

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